57m Tall Timber Building Wins Competition In France

57m Tall Timber Building Wins Competition In France

By David Rowlinson  April 26th, 2016

See how this 57m tall timber building will give more visibility to low carbon, timber construction and the practical time-saving measures they provide.

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Article first published by Arch Daily on 25th April 2016. Courtesy of Jean-Paul Viguier and Associates 

Jean-Paul Viguier and Associates have won the competition for a 57m tall timber tower in Bordeaux, France. It is a mixed-use project containing housing, offices, and retail space, and is part of a larger master plan intent on spurring development in the vicinity of the railway station. (A great example of urban densification in close proximity to a transport hub.)

The project name “Hyperion” is a reference to the world’s tallest living tree (a Sequoia sempervirens in Northern California) and emphasises the proposal’s vanguard use of timber materials.

The project’s tower element incorporates Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) and Glulam for a post and beam substructure, employs Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) for flooring, and lumber is essential to the facade framework that is also accented with wood.

A series of cantilevered balconies shade the main tower from direct sun while simultaneously preserving views. Balcony gardens and green roofs on the adjacent lower structures mitigate light and regulate the project's climate.

Hyperion will adhere to the Association for Low Carbon Buildings (BBCA) standards enacted by France in December 2015. The firm hopes that this project will grant more visibility to low carbon, timber building and the practical time-saving measures enabled by these methods. Construction of the project will begin next year and completion is expected in 2019.

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By David Rowlinson

Make it Wood Program Manager

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